Commemorative

Christmas Eve at the Front

An interesting letter has just been received by Mrs Packer, of Broadclyst, from her husband, Corpl Packer of A Company, 1st Battalion Devonshire Regiment, who is serving with the Expeditionary Force in Northern France. In the course of a letter he describes a remarkable incident which occurred on Christmas Eve between the British and German trenches.

In Bideford and Torrington, as in other parts of the country, sirens are being brought into use again, this time for summoning part time members of the National Fire Service to report for duty.

This has been found to be a most valuable method of conveying an immediate general call to firemen in time of emergency. only the ‘All clear’ note will be sounded. There will be none of the ‘wailing’ that was associated for so many years with imminent danger from enemy air attacks.

Bideford was one of the places where such a warning system was operative before the war. Torrington previously used maroons for this purpose but is now changing over to conform to the general rule.

For the most part, the sirens will be used in the daytime only; it may be necessary to use them at night in certain places, at any rate until it is possible to have the customary call bells installed in the firemen’s homes, but it is extremely unlikely that the siren call will be heard at night where there is a fully-staffed National Fire Service Headquarters. Only a breakdown in the usual form of communication would necessitate such a step.

Gazette article dated 5 June 1945

Home After Ten Years

Sunday May 27th was a memorable day for the Cook family of Higher Clovelly, for on that day, after an absence of over 10 years, Driver ‘Dan’ Cook, RA, returned to his native village.

In an interview with our local representative he gave the following narrative – ‘I joined the Colours in 1935, was drafted to India and six years later was sent to North Africa, where, after going through the campaign in Eritrea and the big fight at Umbullagga, I was eventually taken prisoner when we were surrounded at Knightsbridge, near Tobruk. I was first sent to a prison camp at Naples and later with about 8,000 others to be a big camp at Maceratta, where after about eight months we were split up in groups and sent to work in different parts of Italy. I was sent to Zevio, near Verona, and worked there as camp cook.

On September 8th we heard rumours of an Armistice and the next morning, finding the guard absent we all dispersed to different farms in the neighbourhood. I went with a pal to where he had been working and remained there for about nine months. Word came through that ‘Jerries’ and Fascists were searching for British Tommies so we cleared off to the mountains and joined the Patriots and assisted them for about eleven months, when we were told to present ourselves to the 5th American Army near Verona, who sent work to my people that I was safe, the first they had heard from me for two years.’

‘Dan’ is the son of Mr and Mrs D Cook and one of a family of 12, seven of whom are serving in the Forces or on agricultural work.

Gazette article dated 5 June 1945

How’s This For A Record?

Here, surely, is a local record for evacuee billeting!

Mrs O’Brien, writing to the Editor from Richmond Farm, Appledore, states: “There are eleven of us – six children and five grown-ups and we have been in the same billet since our arrival, October 1940, and, I must add, in perfectly happy conditions. I don’t think that anyone can beat that for length of stay with similar size family”. Mr Wm Rendle, of Richmond Farm, in a footnote in verification adds that they have all been one big happy family.

In the picture, from left to right are: Standing, Miss Patricia O’Brien, Miss Joyce Plumb, Michael O’Brien, Mrs N O’Brien, Maurice O’Brien, Mrs G Harris. Sitting: Mrs Plumb, Frank O’Brien, Mr W Rendle, Peter Harris, Mr E Plumb and Margaret O’Brien.
Thus, commencing with Mr and Mrs Plumb, there are three generations evacuated to this billet. They came here from Lewisham, through Mr P O’Brien, who is in the Army and was at that time stationed at Northam.
Mrs N O’Brien’s husband is in the Royal Navy.
Gazette article dated 20 June 1944